1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to golf putter grips, and more particularly, to putter grips designed to inhibit a putter from twisting or turning during the putting stroke or to otherwise improve the ability of a golfer to grip the putter.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
One of the most important, if not the most important, part of any golfer's game is the ability to make putts accurately and with consistency. Indeed, when one considers that putting strokes typically account for one-half or more of a golfer's strokes, the age old expression “drive for show, putt for dough” becomes quite apt. It is therefore of little surprise that golfers and golf equipment manufacturers have devoted a significant amount of time and resources to produce putters which aid golfers in consistently striking the ball on the intended line and with the intended hardness. Most such designs deal with the composition and/or configuration of the putter head. Accordingly, oversized putter heads, specially shaped putter heads, putter heads with arrows and crosses, and putter heads made of brass and other materials designed to improve the “feel” of the putting stroke have all been proposed.
A few attempts have also been made to improve the putting stroke through improved shaft or grip design. Most notably, the so-called “long shaft” putter, having an unusually long shaft, has gained increased acceptance in recent years as a mechanism for improving putting accuracy.
One problem experienced by many golfers, and particularly high-handicappers, is the inability to hit the ball squarely. Even if a golfer having this problem manages to properly initially align the face of the putter with the ball, he or she has a tendency to twist or turn the club face either in or out during the putting stroke, causing the ball to veer away from its intended line after it is struck. This problem is especially evident in so-called mid-range puts in the range of 3–10 feet in which many golfers have a tendency to rush their putt and to look up before they should so that they can follow the path of the ball towards the hole. Mechanism designed to help golfers align the putter with the ball and/or to improve the feel of the putting stroke do little, if anything, to alleviate this problem.
Another problem in previous putter grips is that, given a shaft of a particular, standard length, the “grip height”, i.e., the distance from the ground to the top of the grip, is fixed. This is an unattractive feature for tall golfers and those who like to grip at a higher point. For example, some golfers prefer to grip the putter at a higher point and to bend less. The effective lengths standard grips cannot be adjusted to provide different grip height.
An additional problem in previous putter grips is that the grip was not removably affixable to the shaft. A drawback to this is that the grip position can unexpectedly shift. In addition, the rules of the United States Golf Association do not permit adjustment of a grip during a game of golf.